(Crewe, England. 20 April 2011) The Continental Supersports
Convertible ISR (Ice Speed Record) is the most potent and radically
styled Bentley convertible ever. This new model, limited to just 100
cars worldwide, is a celebration of the Company’s world ice speed
record for a convertible car set by Finland’s four-time world rally
champion Juha Kankkunen in a Bentley Continental Supersports
convertible.

Driving the all-wheel drive, biofuel-powered 6-litre, 12-cylinder
Continental Supersports convertible on the perilous frozen Baltic
Sea, off the coast of Finland, Kankkunen achieved a speed of 205.48
mph (330.695 km/h) eclipsing his own ice speed record of 199.83 mph
(321.6 km/h) set in 2007 in the Continental GT.

The new Supersports Continental Convertible ISR made its debut on
the Bentley stand at the 2011 Geneva Show. Wolfgang Duerheimer,
Bentley’s new Chairman and Chief Executive, said:

“Juha Kankkunen’s drive was a remarkable achievement and worthy of a
very special car. The Continental Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ is
a true driver’s car that captures that unique Bentley spirit. It
offers extreme performance, agility and an extrovert personality,
while retaining the refinement, handcrafted luxury and comfort our
customers expect.”

The new Bentley convertible is available in three distinctive
colours, reinforcing its muscular styling, while its leather and
Alcantara-lined cabin features high-gloss carbon fibre with a unique
red weave. For an even more extrovert appearance, customers may
specify the ISR Mulliner design package (available at no extra cost)
with its bold ‘Supersports ISR’ graphics and red-accented detailing.
The Supersports Continental Convertible ISR is now available to
order at Bentley dealerships and is priced at £189,300 (inclusive of
VAT).

Bentley’s most powerful 6-litre
W12 engine with FlexFuel technology

The 6-litre, twin
turbo-charged W12 engine, produces 640 PS (631 bhp / 471 kW) - the
most powerful Bentley ever - and 800Nm (590lb ft) of torque. Paired
with a Quickshift six-speed automatic transmission, it launches the
convertible ‘Ice Speed Record’ model from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds
(0-100 km/h in 4.0s) and reaches 100 mph from a standing start in
only 9.5 seconds (0-160 km/h in 9.4s).
The additional engine power of the new convertible is the result of
fine tuning of the engine to optimise the benefits of the new
free-breathing air intake ducts, intercooler system and the exhaust
system.

And true to the Bentley tradition of delivering instantly available
and exhilarating performance in real world driving conditions, the
‘Ice Speed Record’ convertible will sprint from 50-75 mph (80-120
km/h) in just 2.5 seconds.

In common with its Continental stable mates, the new Supersports
model runs on both petrol (gasoline) or E85 bio-ethanol or any
combination of the two. Pioneered in the Supersports coupe, this
FlexFuel technology offers a reduction of up to 70 per cent in CO2
emissions on a well-to-wheel basis, a measure of a fuel’s net
contribution to the atmosphere, not just tailpipe emissions. The
on-board fuel supply system monitors the content of the fuel tank
and ensures that power and torque remain constant regardless of the
ratio of petrol to biofuel.

The all-wheel drive system provides outstanding traction in all
weather conditions. The drive is transferred between the front and
rear axles automatically via a Torsen centre differential. The
standard 40 front/60 rear torque split provides optimum traction and
modulation of line and attitude by ’throttle steering’ for more
enthusiastic drivers.

The new exhaust system with reduced back pressure benefits gas flow
while delivering a sporty baritone note under hard acceleration. On
light throttle cruising, the new Supersports model remains
impressively refined.

Large diameter (420 mm front, 356 mm rear), carbon ceramic brake
discs, with eight-piston callipers at the front provide
fade-resistant stopping power. This lightweight system also reduces
unsprung and rotating mass, benefiting steering response and
handling. As with all Supersports models the ‘Ice Speed Record’ is
fitted as standard with Pirelli 275/35ZR20 ultra high performance
tyres.

Dramatically extrovert styling

Just 100 examples of the
ISR will be built at Bentley’s Crewe factory. The Supersports ‘Ice
Speed Record’ is distinguished by its extrovert and muscular design
cues that reinforce the uncompromising performance of this extreme
Bentley convertible.

Bentley’s designers have selected three ‘stand-out’ exterior paint
colours for the new convertible: Beluga, Quartzite and, fittingly,
Arctica White. These colours are complemented by a Dark Grey
Metallic soft top with Bentley’s refined three-ply composite
construction.

The unique appearance of the soft top is created in the outer layer
by a 'grey' acrylic fibre with a semi-transparent 'metallic look’ in
a twill weave construction. The car’s potent performance is further
accentuated by 20” inch, 10-spoke Supersports wheels with a dark
tint finish.

For those customers seeking to accentuate the high performance
credentials of the car further, Bentley offers a special ISR
Mulliner design package as a no cost option. The 20” 10-spoke
Supersports wheels can be specified in a vibrant red paint with a
diamond turned finish to produce a lustrous metallic contrast. The
dual-louvered dark bonnet vents, unique to Supersports models, are
complemented by red accent surrounds. The extrovert Mulliner design
is completed with a set of bold of Supersports ISR graphics that run
down both flanks of the car.

Contemporary luxury craftsmanship
and advanced technology

The dramatic character
of the four-seat Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ continues in the
cockpit in which traditional Bentley craftsmanship and fine
detailing are given an even more bold interpretation.

Traditional leather hides sit alongside a range of contemporary
materials for a distinctly sporting style. This includes
diamond-quilted Alcantara to doors, quarter panels and seat facings,
and ‘soft-grip’ leather on the steering wheel and gear lever.

Unique to the ‘Ice Speed Record’ model, the high-gloss carbon fibre
on the dashboard, centre console and roof panel, features a red
weave. The theme continues with Pillar Box Red piping to seats and
doors, and Pillar Box Red contrast stitching to seats, door casings,
steering wheel and gearshift paddles.

The front seats and floor mats also feature embroidered
‘Supersports’ legends while the signature Breitling dashboard clock
also has a red accent.

The Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’, despite its ice racing pedigree,
is clearly no ‘stripped out’ racer. Its highly specified interior
has the highly-advanced touchscreen infotainment system from the new
Continental GT that provides rich map imagery and a 30GB on-board
hard drive.

An 8-inch screen displays the car’s audio system, telephone, ride
and comfort settings as well as the very latest navigation system,
which uses both an in-car hard-disc drive and a DVD player to access
route data. It also utilises dynamic navigation to avoid heavy
traffic spots, locates destinations using geo-tagged photos from an
SD memory card and is Google Maps-compatible for most markets.

The infotainment system, with 7-digit postcode entry, combines
touchscreen controls and classic Bentley knurled rotary switches to
offer instant usability. It is complemented by a new driver
information panel (DIP) located in the main instrument cluster. The
new wide-screen DIP employs TFT technology and enhanced graphics
provide the driver with clear and easily accessible information
about a wide range of car systems.